The Braves did well against tough competition as expected.
They made the most of a stretch of two series against the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies, winning both, but not sweeping, those series. The Braves went 2-3 against the Reds (7-6 Sunday, 7-6 again Saturday and losing 10-11 Friday. They won 2 of 3 games with the Phillies (5-1 in 10 innings last Thursday, no game Wednesday due to storms in Phily. That game will be made up September 11th, and a 4-2 victory last Tuesday.)
These victories helped the Braves (50-27) stay on top of the MLB East, at .649 PCT. The Miami Marlins (45-34) follow with .570 PCT, behind Atlanta by 6 games. The Phillies (40-37) sink further behind the two leaders, 10 games out of first place.
The Braves can thank infielder Matt Olson and his hot bat for his efforts in helping keep the team on top. He scored a key homer against the Reds Sunday, with the ball traveling 378 feet, passing the wall by 46 feet. That was the 25th homer he’s launched this season.
“What he’s doing right now is impressive,” said Braves third baseman Austin Riley to MLB writer Matt Bowman. “We know when he gets hot, he’s fun to watch. He’s doing that right now.”
The Braves will need Olson (hitting .236) and the rest of the team’s hitters to stay hot as they maneuver through the rest of the 2023 season. They will face the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series starting tonight at 7:20 pm at home. Spencer Strider (3.93 ERA) will be on the mound tonight against the Twins Sonny Gray (2.56 ERA). Then they head to South Florida to battle the Marlins in a three-game series against the division rivals starting June 30th.
Both series will be tougher for the Braves. The Twins are leading in the AL Central (.506 PCT) and the number 2 Marlins are a considerable distance from the Braves in the NL East. The Braves should take at least a game from the Twins and at least two games from the Marlins in that series.
Image credit: Atlanta Braves/MLB
